smith



(No Model.)

L. D. &'Ji B. SMITH. SAFETY APPARATUS FOR SEA BATHERS.

a ted Aug. 15, 1 32..

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

LORENZO 1). SMITH, or BALDWlN, AND JOHN B. SMITH, or PATGHOGUE', new YORK,

SAFET Y APPARATUS FOR SEA-BATHERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 262,843, dated August 15, 1882.

' Application filed April 19, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LORENZO D. SMITH, of Baldwin, in the county of Queens and State of New York, and JOHN B. SMITH, of Patchogue, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Safety Apparatus for Sea-Bathers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The'object of our invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus for preventing sea-bathers from being drowned or carried out by the waves, tide, or under-tow.

The invention consists in a movable carrier loosely mounted on a cable attached to a float in the water some distance from the shore, and to a standard on the shore,'t0 which carrier ropes can be attached which are attached to the bathers,which carrier can be moved toward and from the shore by means of ropes attached to the carrier and passing over a pulley on the float, and attached to windlasses on the standar The invention also consists in the construction of parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.-

Figure l is a perspective view of an improved safety apparatus for sea-bathers. Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal elevation of the carrier and the ropes attached to the same.

A wooden floating frame or buoy, A, prefer ably made in the shape of a cross, is anchored a certain distance from the shore by means of an anchor attached to the chainB, attached to this frame. A heavy balancing-weight, (l, is suspended from or attached to each end of the transverse piece of the frame A to hold it steady and prevent it from turning over or moving up and down on the waves. One or more wire cables,D,are attached to a pivoted bail, E, on the land end of the frame or buoy A, and to blocks F, sliding on standards or posts G on the shore,which posts are embedded in the ground or provided with a broad and strong base. As any number of cablesD and posts G can be combined with the floating frame or buoy A, and as these are all constructed alike, but one will be described. The standard G is braced by means of chains or ropes H, anchored in the ground, which chains or ropes can be adjusted to be more or less taut. A rope, J, is attached to the sliding block F, passes through an eye or pulleyblock, K, at the top of the standard, and is attached to a Windlass-drum at the side of the standard, or to a cleat. By means of this rope the block F, which holds the land end of the cable D, can be adjusted higher or lower, according to the tide. A longitudinal block or carrier, L, is mounted to slide on the cable D, which passes through it, and to the outer end of this carrier a rope, M, is attached, which passes around a pulley, N, on the floatingframe or buoy A, and isattached to a Windlass-drum, O, at oneside of the standard G. A rope, P, is attached to the inner end of the carrier L, and is attached to a Windlass-drum, Q, on the other side of the standard G. The rope M passes through guide-loops R on the carrier L. A series of eyes, loops, or staples, S, is attached to the carrier L, and to these'eyes S a series of ropes, T, is attached by means of snaphooks a. Snap-hooks b on the outer ends of the ropes T are passed over loops or rings on belts passed around the bathers, or any othersuitable devices may be provided at the outer ends of the ropes T, by means of which the bathers can be fastened to these ropes, and the ropes T canbe attached to the carriers L in any other suitable manner.

As stated, any number of standards G, cables D, and carriers L can be combined with one floating frame or buoy A.

The outer ends of the cables D can be fastened to any other suitable object in place of the floating frame or buoy A,which, however, is preferred.

The operation is as follows: By winding the rope I? on the Windlass-drum Q the carrier L is drawn to the shore. The ropes T are hooked on the belts of the bathing-dresses, or' are secured to the bodies in someother suitable manner, and the books a are hooked into the eyes or loops S. As the bathers wade into the wa terthe rope M is wound upon the windlassdrum 0, whereby the carrier L will be moved toward the floating frame or buoy A. The carrier L can be moved to any desired distance 2 ecasaa from the shore, according to the wishes of the bathers. The ropes T are to be of sufficient length to permit the bathers to move about. The bathers are thus held by these ropes T, and need not hold on the ropes or cable, and always have their hands disengaged. If an accident happens to a bather, he can hold himself above water by grasping the cable D, and at any time that the batherswish to go to the shore the carrier L can be moved toward the shore; or the bathers can disengage themselves and swim or wade to the shore.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A safety apparatus for sea-bathers, made substantially as herein shown and described, and consisting of a carrier on which ropes for holding the bathers can be attaohed,mounted movably on a cable fastened to the shore and to an object in the water some distance from the shore, as set forth. 4

2. In a safety apparatus for sea-bathers,the combination, with an anchored buoy or float, a standard on shore, and a cable attached to the buoy and to the standard, of a movable carrier on the cable,and aseries of ropes attached to the carrier and adapted to be attached to the bathers,substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In asafety apparatus for bathers, the combination, with the float or buoy A, the cable D, and the standard G, of the carrier L, and the vertically-adjustable block F, to which the land end of the cable is attached,substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a safety apparatus for sea-leathers, the combination, with the float or buoy A, the cable D, and the standard G, of the carrier L, and the ropes Mand 1?, attached to the same, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a safety apparatus for sea-bathers, the combination, with the float or buoy A, the cable D, and the standard G, of the carrier L, the ropes M and P, and the windlasses O and Q, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a safety apparatus for sea-bathers, the combination, with the float or buoy A, the cable D, and the standard G, of the carrier L, provided with eyes or loops S, the ropes 'I,provided with snap-hooks a, and of the ropes M and P, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a safety apparatus for sea-bathers, the combination, with the float A, the cable D, and the standard G, of the carrier L, the ropes M and P, and the pulley N on the float A, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a safetyapparatus for sea-bathers, the combination, with the float A, provided with balancing-weights O, the cable D, and the standard G, of the carrier L and the ropes M and P, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

LORENZO DOW SMITH. JOHN BRUSTER SMITH. Witnesses:

R0131. A. DAVISON, EMELINE DAVISON. 

